Greenskins
The various clans and tribe from around the world of Mystara seem to share in one common goal, the domination of any track of land that they believe is their territory. There are, literally, hundreds of different clans, tribes, warbands, and groups of Greenskins with just as many different ways of life; Those that only care about bloodshed and power, those that care about honor and strength, those that hide in the shadows and wait for mankind to turn a blind eye for even a second. Mystara Greenskins welcome the following races: *Orcs *Half-orcs *Goblins *Gremlins *Trolls *Ogres *Snotlings *Hobgoblins *Kobolds Information There are only a few different factors which are held in common among the Greenskins of Mystara. First, is the grudge that spans back so many centuries that most don't even know why it started.. the war between humans and greenskins. Both sides are often found blaming the other.. the greenskins calling the humans weak, unfit, rulers that took greenskin land so they had to be crushed, the humans calling the greenskins monster that only want to murder, rape, and rampage. The one thing that remains is that any time there is a tribe of greenskins or a village of humans the other usually isn't too far behind and blood conflict usually lurks on the horizon. Combat Another factor which is common among the greenskins is the idea of honorable combat. Fighting an enemy with no way to defend itself is not a victory as there is no glory in it. Greenskins live for that feeling of glory, for defeating a foe and claiming victory. As such, many greenskins actually choose mates through honorable combat and many hold that if one is defeated by another greenskin they are obligated to serve in that manner for the night, if called upon to do such. In actuality, the rumor of greenskins being rapists actually comes from this way of life, the defeat warrior women of different races then mate them for the night.. though sometimes this can lead to members of other races getting enslaved and kept for this purpose. No matter what a greenskin never backs down when challenged, though may dispute the conditions for losing and the weapons of choice, as being branded a coward is far worse than death to a greenskin. Territory The second to last factor is the concept of territory. All greenskins fiercely defend their territory, be it actual land or just their possessions. As such honor duels are often fought over such things as good pieces of meat, weapons, pieces of armor.. basically any time a greenskin wants to take something from another greenskin it leads to a fight for it. Challenges can be done to first blood, first to get knocked out, or even who can hold the most alcohol. It is VERY rare for greenskins to actually duel to the death and usually involve trying to claim a leadership position within a tribe or to take away another greenskins rights to land. Unfortunately, for those that trespass on greenskin land, any time an interloper enters greenskin territory without loudly announcing their presence it is considered an act of aggression and can be answered with the unknowning visitor being battled then possibly mated on the spot. Rituals The final thing that all greenskins have in common is the importance of rituals. Greenskins are tribal in nature and as such require the help of shaman to incite the spirits of animals, or their ancestors, in every day life. Celebrations for a good hunt, inducting new members of the tribe, getting ready to raid a human village. All of these events need a shaman there to call upon the spirits to bless the greenskins and give them strength. Shaman hold a special place in greenskin culture as they are both revered as the messengers of the spirits and as such can control powerful ancient magics.. and are feared for the fact that many of them use potent herbs and fungus to incite the spirits in themselves which drives many shaman completely insane over time. No matter the occasion, if a group of greenskins are gathering for anything there is usually a shaman in the heart of the group... their mere presence enough to make greenskins fight until they die for fear that the spirits will punish their cowardice. ((NOTE: The rules of consent still firmly apply.. if a greenskin player is aiming to take a mate, take land, or take possessions through honorable combat you MUST seek approval with the player ahead of time. Failure to follow this rule will be punished up to ejection from the greenskin racial group.)) History of the Greenskins in Mystara War... bloody brutal wars that have scorched the earth black and culled entire generations of life... This is the legacy of the Greenskins. The tribe of Mystara has a very sorted and odd history among the warbands of the greenskin world but stands as the most powerful and respected in these lands. Starting out as little more than a few scattered greenskins squabbling amonst themselves for small spits of land and for ownership of slaves it wasn't until the Skullcrusha and Bloodrinkah clans united that any semblance of organization could be found. The Skullcrushas, known for how well they governed their underlings, and the Bloodrinkahs, known for their brutal savagery on the battlefield, quickly set about dominating any and all greenskins they could find in order to unify them under one banner. Many times the humans and elves of the land would launch assaults against the growing green tide but every time they put a dent in the massive tribe's numbers it seemed like only more were waiting just around the corner. Soon enough this huge forces momentum built up to staggering proportions and many of the intelligent races of the world began to fear that the insane numbers of the orcs, trolls, goblins, and ogres would be undefeatable. Clans and tribes from all over the lands were rushing in to join this attempt at unifying the greenskins and only of the Warchief of this ocean of green fury had acted earlier the world of Mystara may well have seized control of the world. Unfortunately, it was this massive army's size that was ultimately it's undoing. Soon warchiefs from different clans began to squabble amongst one another, staking claims to territory the huge army hadn't even taken yet. Others demanded higher amount of loot from the raids while others yet actually attempted assassinations on old rivals among the greenskins that they once had. Soon enough the greenskin nations were at one anothers throats making demands and fighting for control. The Skullcrusha an Bloodrinkah clans had lost control of the volatile nature of greenskins and their insatiable appetites. The great army that could have crushed the world beneath it's boots was undone in the matter of just a few short months. This parting of the ways, however, was not fruitless for the greenskins. Many new allegiances were formed and to this day there are sizable warbands that still pose a serious threat to the world of the humans. To this day the founding clans of that once great alliance remain as close allies, though the idea of world domination for greenskins is a dream of the past. During the great sundering, as greenskins call it, when the dragons saved all the known worlds some of the clans and tribes vanished from existence in the blink of an eye.. legends tell of the great elder of the Skullcrusha's vanishing during this time.. a great orc that once lead legendary green tide army. When he mysteriously returned many weeks later he spoke of being visited by ancient beings that whispered to him that the way of greenskin battle honor was the only true path. His word spread like wildfire through the greenskin tribes and soon the ideal of honorable battle became a way of life for most. If he had been driven insane or was actually visited by some great ancient power is a mystery lost to the ages, what is true is the threat of the green tide army one day reforming is one of nightmares for most races. Category:Races of Mystara Category:Greenskins